Critiques often strike fear in the hearts of architecture students. However, the exercise can provide many valuable lessons if you’re open-minded and put forth a solid effort. The scope of the project, from practicing your talking points to perfecting your visuals with custom framing, is designed to provide you with learning opportunities, not headaches. Follow these tips to help you get the most out of your critiques.

How to Master Your Architecture School Critiques

1. Keep Your Points Simple

By the time you reach your critique, you’ll know your scheme by heart, so it could be easy to get hung up the details. However, the people you’re presenting to may be hearing your ideas for the very first time. Think about your project from their perspective when shaping your talking points. What would someone who is brand new to your work want to know? Stick to the most important concepts and details when crafting your presentation.

2. Practice Your Delivery

The way you deliver your scheme can make a significant impact on the success of your project. Even if you have an impressive scheme, people won’t be able to tell if you can’t accurately and succinctly explain it. Practice what you’re going to say beforehand — if possible, deliver it to classmates and ask for feedback.

3. Use Professional Visual Materials

The quality of your visuals is another crucial factor in your success. To make sure your drawings are the focus of the critique, you need to present them like a professional. Work with a custom framing company to mat your pieces so they provide a striking visual aid and make your presentation look more professional overall.

If you’re looking for a custom framing company to help with your critique visuals, head to Seattle Custom Framing. Owner Molly Boone-Jones is a certified picture frame specialist with more than 20 years of industry experience. In addition to custom matting for students and teachers, they provide a wide array of decorative products and services, from shadow boxes to mirror framing. You can view a gallery of past work on the company’s website, or call (206) 838-7908 to learn more.